Page 71 of Escape Velocity
“Just testing out the… mattress,” Mason says, averting his eyes from his him.
“I’m gonna… go…” Mason says as he picks up his book bag and runs off, hoping that Jenna is in her dorm or find somewhere to go for as long as possible, so his roommate doesn’t think he’s the weirdest person on campus.
He instead is already going into full-on midterms mode and wants to start studying as soon as he can.
Even though it’s late on a Sunday night, he needs to get his mind off of Callum, and it’s a slippery slope to getting involved with him, still. They might be starting something, but Callum is still a sought-after quarterback and one of the most popular guys in the college. He has other things to focus on, and Mason doesn’t want to be a distraction.
The warm glow of the Freeman Library in all of its brick and ivy glory comes into view as he pulls his plaid jacket closer to him, the fresh October wind making him only more motivated to study.
He bursts through the mahogany doors, the tantalizing feeling of heaters blowing onto his skin relaxing him almost instantly.
He makes his way to the third floor where he and Jenna’s self-designated study spot is and finds his usual spot tucked away in the corner beside the stained-glass windows.
He plunks his bag down on the table but immediatelyrealizes by how light the bag is that he forgot his Modern Physics textbook at his dorm, and considering how he feels lazy, he isn’t going to go back.
He sighs and asks a nearby student to watch his things as he slinks through the stacks of books looking for the physics section.
Mason zips his hoodie zipper up and down as he scans the books.
He’s never actually utilized the library for its main purpose—to read books. He can get his textbooks for free if he got them from the library, but he mostly just relies on his own money to pay for used ones.
He runs a finger along each textbook in the physics section, but something catches his eye. He turns and notices a hulking frame make its way into the same row as him on the other end.
His breath catches in his throat as he realizes without having to fully look that it’s Callum.
He lowers his hand from the bookshelf and turns his full body to Callum, suddenly forgetting what he’s doing in the first place.
Callum slowly walks over to Mason with a tentative smile playing on his lips, like he’s been waiting ages for this moment.
“What are you doing here?” Mason whispers, trying to keep himself from smiling like an idiot at Callum. It’s been just over a day since their kiss, and it almost feels like it didn’t happen, but being within feet of Callum makes the reality come rushing back. It did happen, and Callum isn’t ignoring him.
He’s staying, just like he promised.
Callum raises a playful eyebrow like Mason’s stupid foreven asking such a question, and yeah, maybe he is. Callum has no business being in the library let alone looking for a textbook except for one on football team slang or playbooks.
“Did Coach make you get some playbooks or something? Or did you?—”
Realization tackles Mason to the ground. A smirk plays on his lips. “Did youfollowme?” Mason asks a bit more loudly this time, raising an eyebrow.
Callum brushes the back of his neck, his black sweater rising and exposing the smallest sliver of skin that Mason refuses to look at directly, like it can only exist in his periphery.
“Maybe. I—I know you like to come here and?—”
Callum fully blushes and turns his head away, not fully finishing his sentence.
Mason’s cheeks flush as he realizes that Callum looks like a shy little boy again, the one he knew like the back of his hand. The cocky, confident, and intense persona he usually puts on is nowhere to be seen, and it’s all because of Mason.
“What was your plan exactly?” Mason asks, taking a step closer to Callum.
Callum snorts and shakes his head. “I’m really not sure. I just wanted to see your face. Even if just for a second.”
Heat pulses through Mason’s body. He wants to be closer to Callum. He wants to feel Callum’s hands in his. To intertwine their fingers. To feel his strong, resolute, body against his.
“You’re going to have to watch me study, cause midterms are this week, and I’m so far behind after this weekend,” Mason says as he notices the textbook he needsright next to Callum and reaches for it, softly brushing Callum’s arm with his own as he takes it off its shelf.
Callum’s breath shudders slightly at Mason’s touch and Mason’s almost taken aback at Callum’s demeanor changing so quickly.
Callum swallows hard and avoids Mason’s gaze as he places his book in the crook of his arm.
